Ownership has decided it wants the team to be competitive again. The other way -- HOPING to be competitive, but not really doing anything to facilitate it -- wasn't working so good.

So Sunday, in a major and welcome seismic shift in organizational philosophy, the Indians agreed to pay free agent outfielder Nick Swisher $56 million over the next four years. That's only $9 million less than the Indians' entire 2012 opening day payroll.

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It's only $1 million less than the biggest contract in Indians history, which was Travis Hafner's four-year $57 million deal, the expiration of which, conveniently, dovetails into the first year of Swisher's.

Indians officials can only hope that Swisher's deal pays bigger dividends than Hafner's.

The average annual value of Swisher's contract is $14 million per year, but it also includes a vesting option for a fifth year worth $14 million. That means the total value of the deal could be $70 million, which would surpass Hafner's at the biggest contract in franchise history.

At this point in the timeline of the franchise, given where the Indians are in their relationship with their fan base as well as their competition, the money is perhaps even more important than the player.

The player merely plays. The money sends a message. The message, from the Indians, is this: we're ready to play ball again.

They have sent the message that they are ready to play ball again because they are now spending again. Already this off-season they have committed about $78 million for a manager (Terry Francona), a right fielder (Swisher) and a first baseman (Mark Reynolds).

Let's be honest, though. This is not necessarily all out-of-pocket money for the Tribe. With Major League Baseball's new national television contract providing each team with about $41 million per year starting in 2013, and with the Indians figuring to cash a big check from the expected sale of SportsTime Ohio, the Tribe's cookie jar is bulging.

With the Swisher signing their estimated payroll for 2013 is about $70 million, with opening day still over three months away. That's not an outlandish figure, which is good, because the Indians could still use some starting pitching.

To fill that need they could head back into the free agent market, where the top still-available starting pitchers are Kyle Lohse, Joe Saunders, and Shaun Marcum. Also available are some candidates who are iffy for a variety of reasons, such as Kevin Millwood, Jonathan Sanchez, Randy Wolf, Colby Lewis, and Freddy Garcia.

The Swisher signing probably also lessens the chances of the Tribe trading Asdrubal Cabrera and/or Chris Perez. Those are two veterans who can't become free agents until after the 2014 season. However, if the Indians could get a middle of the rotation starting pitcher for Cabrera, they might have to consider it.

Either way, Tribe officials obviously feel that contention in the Central Division is feasible during the life of Swisher's contract, even for a team coming off a 94-loss season. If they didn't feel capable of contending with Swisher, it makes no sense signing him, unless it was done strictly as a "see, we're willing to spend money now" statement to their estranged fan base.

Swisher will replace the traded Shin-Soo Choo in right field, so the argument could be made that on paper this doesn't make the Indians appreciably better in 2013.

But it does make them better in one important area. The Indians last year had a record of 18-35 vs. left-handed pitchers. Choo hit .199 with a .318 on base percentage vs. left-handers last season. Swisher hit .270 with a .380 on base percentage vs. lefties.

Swisher DOES strikeout a lot. In addition to averaging 26 home runs over each of the last eight years he's also averaged 132 strikeouts per year. The Indians' three position player additions, Swisher, Reynolds and Drew Stubbs, combined to strikeout 466 times last season.

But at least there is a tradeoff for the strikeouts. Swisher will hit about 26 home runs. Reynolds has averaged 33 home runs in each of the last five years, while Stubbs over the last three years has averaged 17 homers and 33 stolen bases per season.

Numbers aside, what's most refreshing about the Swisher signing is it reflects the Indians apparent desire to be competitive again. They want to improve the team. It cost money to do that, and Sunday they spent a lot of it -- at least $56 million and perhaps as much as $70 million.

All four of their major offseason moves -- the signings of Francona, Swisher and Reynolds, and the addition of Stubbs and top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer in a three-team trade -- have been home runs.